Rollerbladers. Dogs on long leashes. Children tooling around on little bikes with training wheels (cute, but unpredictable!). IPod wearin' stroller pushin' jogger mommies. Elite jerks riding too fast. Little old ladies who don't know that there really is an actual separate path for bikes. These are a few of the hazards we must all endure on mixed use trails.

Elitist roadies laugh at the bell on my bike. But I like it - it's cheery, and I can usually get people's attention much sooner than I could by calling out as I'm right on their ***. Every so often I get someone who acts like they've never heard such a thing before, but they also usually act like they've never seen a bicycle before too. I ring my bell before riding into blind spots, and use it copiously in those few places where I'm forced to ride on the sidewalk.

I've come to really despise people who have headphones on and aren't aware of the world around them.